


Uncle Is Better Than Father

by paintedbluerose



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: And only sort of part of it, But like super late, Can you tell this is fluff and love of Zuko and Iroh? Cause it is, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Irko Week 2020, Iroh is the best uncle, Iroh just loves his boy, Only Zuko can call Uncle Uncle, Zuko loves his uncle, Zuko says come at me! He my Uncle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27690851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedbluerose/pseuds/paintedbluerose
Summary: Everyone calls Uncle Iroh “Uncle”. Zuko is not happy. No one can call Uncle Uncle except Zuko.(A late tribute to Irko week: father)
Relationships: Aang & Toph Beifong & Iroh & Katara & Sokka & Zuko, Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 104





	Uncle Is Better Than Father

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to do Irko week because I love the father/son aspect of them. They the best. I just wasn’t able to do it this year after doing Whumptober and trying to catch up on a few things. So this is a tribute to it for the prompt Father, which I think is the last day.
> 
> It’s something I think would apply to Zuko. Even though I love Dakoda, I also know Zuko has his own dad in Uncle. But with Zuko not having the best relationship with Ozai, he wouldn’t want to call Iroh father. This fic is not the best and ends weird but sorta, hopefully conveys that.

It was a year after the war ended that Zuko noticed it. First he thought it was a slip up. Then he thought maybe it was Toph and her nicknames. But it was all his friends doing the same thing. All of them calling his Uncle Uncle.

One day, when everyone was relaxing at the Jasmine Dragon, they continued with calling him Uncle and he responded. Like he liked being called Uncle by them. And maybe Zuko was under a lot of stress. Maybe he was tired or annoyed. It really didn’t give him excuse to yell at everyone. “Stop calling him Uncle! He’s not _your_ Uncle. He’s mine!” He snapped.

“Zuko!” Uncle frowned at Zuko and he knew it was too much.

“But... he’s Uncle...” Sokka said.

“He’s _my_ Uncle.” Zuko repeated in a much quieter voice.

“Nephew, I told them they could call me Uncle. Why do you not want them to call me Uncle?”

Zuko wasn’t sure how to explain it in a way to make them understand. But he knew he had to say something since he yelled at all of them. “Uncle isn’t just a nickname to me. It means more. Because you mean more.” He hesitated, thinking of the words to use. “It’s like everyone calling Hakoda dad. Only Katara and Sokka can do that.”

“Are you saying I’m like a father to you?” Uncle smiled.

“Yes and no.” Zuko looked to the ground so he didn’t have to see anyone staring at him. “You’re more than a Father to me. But Father isn’t a good name for me because of... Ozai. I can’t call you Father because I think of him. Uncle is better. Uncle means love and care and support. Uncle is my Father. So no one else can call you Uncle.” 

When Zuko looked back up, he noticed Uncle had a big smile on his face and tears in his eyes. A few tears escaped and made their way down Uncle’s cheeks and Zuko felt his heart squeeze. He made his Uncle cry. He didn’t mean to do that. Was he mad at Zuko?

He heard a sniffle and turned to look at his friends. All of them were crying or trying not to cry.

“Oh Nephew.” Uncle reached out to hug Zuko. “I’ve said this before but I do think of you as my son. I let them call me Uncle because they’re like family. But you, you will always be my son. Your ‘Uncle’ is more important.”

Zuko smiled into the hug. Maybe he could share the name. Uncle knew what he meant.


End file.
